Brothers
by stripesthetiger11
Summary: Notch and Herobrine are brothers, but sworn enemies, and will murder each other at first sight. But when Steve accidentally releases the Ender Dragon from it's prison in The End, he has to find a way to bring the brothers together in order to save millions of lives. The problem? Notch thinks Steve is Herobrine in disguise and Steve has absolutely no idea how to even find Herobrine.
1. Sucked into Trouble

Brotherhood.

Not a complex word, or at least to Steve it wasn't. To most, it was the good willed relationship between siblings. To Steve, it was his village, or his family, as he preferred it to be. To the young villager, brotherhood was the feeling of a close bond with the people he talked to each day. It was the feeling of love and happiness that spread throughout him whenever he was interacting with the people he cared for.

Steve never had siblings of his own, but he was sure that if he did, they would have been closer than the best of friends. Brothers and sisters he saw in the village always seemed so close and stuck out for each other all the time. Sure, they fought from time to time, but were always back together before night fell. Steve knew he didn't need a sibling, for he already held the bond that came with it. Villagers found him to be trustworthy and kind, like everyone else he's ever known. In fact, he's never known otherwise. The evil he knows only existed inside the monsters that creep at night and in story books he obtained from the village librarian. The creatures that lurked in the dark always puzzled him, forcing him to spend each night wondering what would force these beings to attack humans and not each other.

Despite the monsters at night, Steve's life couldn't be better. Everyday he would help tend to the crops and livestock and sell what he gathered for emeralds, which he would use to buy whatever he needed. Then he would return home to care for his cat, Stripes, and his dog, Ace, before night fell. Life was a peaceful routine that Steve never tired of. He wouldn't have his life any other way, and hoped it would never change. He wouldn't be able to take the excitement of adventure and extreme situations.

Unfortunately for him, fate was not on his side.

A few months after Steve turned twenty-four, horrible news was brought to the village. Steve had woken up like usual and got dressed in his usual turquoise blue shirt and blue pants, which were different compared to the various robed the villagers wore. He then ate watermelon for breakfast and fed his pets. Ace was unusually distant that day, which confused Steve greatly. But he brushed it off as only odd behavior. Stripes acted like herself, though, meowing for her morning fish and purring when he ran a hand through her striped orange fur. As he exited his home, he noticed that most of his fellow villagers kept inside. The few that were outside weeped deeply, bringing worry to the once cheerful farmer. He kept a steady pace towards to one of the sobbing villagers, trying his best not to dash to her and possibly give her a heart attack.

Bessie, a fairly elderly woman that would teach the children of the small village, was the one Steve approached. Her long graying blonde hair and white robes only seemed to contribute to the sad scene of a crying old woman. When hearing him approach, she lifted her head to look up at him.

"Bessie," Steve whispered, "what happened? Why are you crying?"

Bessie could only stand from where she was and wrap her arms around her taller companion and cry in to his chest.

"Ph- Phillip," she choked out in sobs, "He was overtaken by zombies during the night. A- a dog found his body this morning." Her voice quivered as her tears soaked through Steve's shirt. He didn't mind, though. He was too overcome with sadness and grief. Phillip was a courier, and a close friend to Steve. He would transport goods, documents, and letters from our small village to the town up north. He was nomadic, and always carried a portable bed along with him, but Steve would allow him to sleep in his bed whenever he stopped by and it was nearing night. Phillip job was dangerous, and everyone told him this, especially his mother, Bessie. Monsters, bandits, and wolves were always things to be wary of, which was why being a courier was given high pay for each delivery. With all the emeralds he had gotten over the years, he was able to buy himself leather armor and a diamond sword, but it wasn't enough. He was killed in the end, and someone would have to take his place, just like he did with the old courier.

Steve put his arms around the petite old woman and comforted her. The next few days were filled with sorrow and grieving. A funeral was held two days after, and lasted hours. Almost everyone had something kind to say about Phillip, and it brung tears to Steve's eyes.

Then finally, the inevitable day came. The village needed more coal to cook our food and make glass, but they weren't making charcoal fast enough. The coal mine was near the town, and they needed to take a letter to Notch, a man who controlled most of the governable world, requesting for more coal. When no one would step up to the plate, Steve decided to be the one to take the letter. Although he was begged not to go, he put on the leather armor and stone sword given to him by the blacksmith and mounted the horse. Ezekiel, the town's only horse, was fairly old and had a few scars from encounters with whatever lurks at night, but he still held strong and still had a few more journeys left in him. After getting familiar with the steed, and being assured that Stripes and Ace would be taken care of, he took the letter and rode off toward town.

Fortunately for him, the ride was a short eleven mile ride and very uneventful. The only dangerous thing that they encountered was a wolf, which only gave them a lazy glance as they passed. As he approached the town, he was met by iron double doors built into a smooth stone wall that surrounded the town. A guard standing tall in full iron armor in front of the doors requested that Steve dismount his horse. He gladly complied and allowed the guard to search him. Seeing he only had a stone sword, he let the courier into the town.

The town was huge, most houses being made of smooth stone and building out of iron. This contrasted greatly to the village's simple wooden homes and shops. Steve asked a young woman where to find Notch. She said nothing, only pointing to a three story cobble stone house that stood out like a beacon in the middle of the town, complete with a giant "N" in front of the building in pure gold, and a literal beacon beaming a bright blue light ray straight into the sky. Embarrassed for not noticing it, the young man thanked her and began his walk towards the building.

As he neared his destination, he noticed the increase in guards. Once or twice one of the armored men stopped him to ask him where he was going, only to let him through. Upon arriving at the mansion-like building, he was let in and led into where Notch currently was: his room. Along the way, he questioned the woman leading him why there was so much protection needed.

"No one's really sure," she muttered to him as they climbed the stairs. "Some think he's just paranoid, since we haven't had an attack on this town in almost decades. And he can take on bandits and monsters easily, so it makes me think there might be something bigger he's protecting the town from." As she finished her sentence, she stopped in front of a single wooden door and knocked. As they waited for an answer, Steve began to notice the design of the door. It seemed to be made of jungle wood, and carved into the door's surface was a sword crossed over an arrow to form an X. It was clear to Steve that Notch was a warrior.

"Come in!" a voice rang out from behind the door. It sounded cheerful but aged, making him guess Notch was in his mid thirties. The woman opened the door and explained that the courier had arrived, and then walked off without saying a word. Steve entered, and with one glance around the room, his jaw hit the floor.

The room's walls were made of oak wood planks, while the floors resembled a chess board, made up of squares of what must've been spruce and and birch wood. Two redstone lamps hung from opposite sides of the ceiling, being the only light source in the room. An elegant red sheet bed pushed into the corner beside an oak night stand. A large arch with two iron doors were opened up, leading out to a wide balcony that had a view of the north side of town. The man standing on the edge of the balcony, leaning onto the iron railing and looking out at the town, was who Steve assumed to be Notch. Notch wore gray pants, brown shoes, and a brown shirt that seemed to have torn short sleeves. He was tall, a fairly good build, and had no hair with the exception of a thick black beard.

"Yes?" Notch asked, not turning to face him. Steve gulped and was eventually able to find his voice and speak his mind. "Uh, Notch, sir... I have a letter from the village to the south. The one that had that pig infestation a few years ago?"

Notch merely nodded, staring dreamily out at the near setting sun. "And what's in the letter?"

Steve searched his bag of food and water until he found the slightly crumpled letter. He opened up the envelope and read the contents out loud.

"From the village of the southern green valleys:

If we could please beg for a favor: we have run out of coal from the supply you've given us, and the charcoal we've made is burning too fast due to our increase in population and our attempt to make some is not working fast enough. We need the coal to warm us on cold nights and to cook most of our food. We hope it won't be a burden.

Sincerely,

Eliot Blackhand."

A chuckle came from Notch as he finally began to turn around to face me. "Heh, that village, eh? Of course I'll give them the coal they need. Just go down to the mines beside the town and talk to-"

He stopped suddenly. It sounded as if his breath had caught in throat. Steve watched Notch's now revealed black pupils constrict and his body stumble back slightly. The courier tilted his head, puzzled by the older man's sudden shock and apparent horror. Notch let out a shuddering breath and Steve could hear him say under his breath, just barely audible: "Brother."

This made Steve even more puzzled, especially when Notch's expression turned into one of pure anger. He began to speak again, this time much more audible and forceful, striking fear into Steve's spine. "You think you can trick me with this disguise, brother? What are you doing here?"

"I-I, uh, what?" the young man sputtered out, flustered. "I, uh, have no idea what you're talking about, Mr. Notch s-"

He couldn't even finish his sentence. Notch had slammed him against the wall with what felt like super-human strength, pinning him up against the wall with one hand around his neck, greatly constricting his air flow. Steve gasped for air and tried to claw at his arm to get him to let go, but the man's grip was stronger than iron.

"You should have stayed in the Nether," Notch growled threateningly, "Now I get to send you down to where you really belong." He tightened his grip, and Steve's vision began to fade in and out. The brown haired male wheezed and gasped for air, but lost the battle and everything began to go black. But just before he was enveloped in darkness, he heard Notch whisper one one last phrase.

"I'm sorry I have to do this, Herobrine."


	2. The End

Steve awoke, his eyes opening slightly as realization slowly came to him. The first thing he registered was the pounding in his head, and then it was the sound of something being dragged across the floor. His eyes widened as he began to remember the events before he had blacked out. Looking around frantically, he noticed that the dragging he heard was coming from him as something pulled at the back of his collar with enough force to pull his entire body through an endless corridor and across the cobblestone floor. Speaking of cobblestone floor, Steve noticed that the walls and ceiling of the corridor were also made of stone.

"We're underground," he whispered to himself, just barely audible. He looked behind him to see that Notch was the one who was dragging him. Too weak to struggle, all he could really muster was words.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked in a whisper. Notch froze and looked back at him. Steve would've sworn he saw regret and pity in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said, "but I just can't take any chances." And with that, they continued on. In the distance, they could hear the distant hisses of creepers and the clacking bones of skeletons. The seemingly guilty Notch would respond to any of the younger man's questions, only walked through the underground tunnel. They suddenly stopped and Notch pulled Steve up to his weak legs a turned him to face whatever they had arrived to.

They were facing a portal of some sort. It was built into the floor with strange looking beige stones, sort of resembling enchantment tables, making up the frame. Large dark blue pearls that looked like the eyes of cats were embedded into the stones. Within the frame is what could only be described as the night sky. Steve looked into the portal, mesmerized by the beauty trapped within the portal. It was then that he wondered why Notch had brought him there.

The said ruler turned his gaze from the portal and into Steve. "I am deeply sorry if I have done wrong. If you are telling the truth, then I pray you shall survive."

And with that, he handed the younger one a pumpkin.

A pumpkin.

Steve was utterly confused and even scratched his head, staring at it. The pumpkin was extremely light, showing that it was already hallowed out. The front of the pumpkin had a sharp-toothed grin carved into the front with evil narrowed eyes to match. A large hole had been cut out at the bottom, confusing him even further. It was big enough to stick his head into, so was he supposed to wear it?

He did not have long to ponder over this matter, for Notch shoved his side, making him stumble towards the end of the portal. Had he not had good balance, he would have fallen face first straight into it, but that didn't matter. Notch gave another shove, and Steve was knocked over and into the blackness.

The darkness seemed to swallow him up, for once he had entered, there seemed to be no exit. He was no longer falling, but he wasn't on anything solid, either. He just drifted weightlessly through a starry night sky.

Was this it? Was this what Notch had sent him to on a false accusation? Would he be doomed to drift aimlessly until death? If so, then why the Nether did he give Steve a pumpkin?

And then he crashed to the ground.

It was so abrupt that Steve didn't even realize he had left to void of blackness and death. He got up and rubbed his left arm, the side he had landed on. It wasn't a hard landing, though. It felt more like he just dropped about three feet. Just as he was about to look around, he heard what sound like a whining, small animal making throaty noises. It didn't make much sense, but that's all he could relate it to. The sound was what idle Endermen made.

He had seen Enderman before, and boy they were scary. They were the tallest and skinniest monsters he's ever seen. It's skin was pure black and its eyes were a bright purple that glowed like redstone in the darkness. Unlike every other mob, when the Enderman appeared, it wouldn't attack if it saw you. It would attack if you saw it. Steve lost a friend who stayed out too late one night and made the mistake of looking into the beast's eyes.

Steve slowly looked up, eyes not leaving the ground, and saw the long thin legs of multiple Endermen. His breathing quickened further. There was more than one. He took a quick scan across the floor, only to realize that he was surrounded by wandering Endermen. Was this where the beings went whenever they teleported out of existence? If so, then the worst thing he could do was look up. For now, all he could look at was the stone he stood upon, which seemed to be the same stone the frame of the portal was made of. An Enderman bumped into his shoulder and could feel the monster look down at him. Steve's hands roamed his side, trying to find his sword. Of Course, it was not there.

He gulped and looked at the pumpkin that had fallen beside him. Surprisingly, it was still in one piece. It was then he got a strange idea. He picked up the pumpkin and looked over the frightening face on the front. Maybe if he wore it, the Endermen wouldn't attack at his gaze. That had to be it. Why else would Notch prepare him with a pumpkin?

Steve gulped and placed the pumpkin over his head, turning it so he could get a good view through the eyes. His nose twitched in disgust at the fowl odor of the plant. He forced himself to ignore it; surviving was more important than comfort. It was an unfamiliar concept, but one he knew he had to get used to if he were to get go through the Endermen.

Taking a deep breath, he put his theory to the test and glanced up.

Steve knew full well that if he was wrong, it would mean certain death. But he also knew that he was going to die there anyways, so he had nothing to lose. But thankfully, he had been right. The Enderman that had bumped into his shoulder look down and straight into his eyes. The monster lifted its eyes off of him and continued to wander.

Steve let out a sigh of relief. He was safe for now. He began to wander the terrain. There was no sky, only blackness, and the only other living things inhabiting the world were Endermen. He had heard of a place like this before, but only in a book. This empty world was called "The End." That was because no one knew where to go after this. This was the end of the road. Or at least that's what Steve assumed. It could be just be called "The End" because it's a catchy name for the Enderman's home. Either way, Steve didn't know jack squat about this place, other than it was dark, scary, and cold.

As Steve walked, a few of the monsters glanced his way, tilting their heads curiously. They must've been surprised to see a human in their world. He had to have walked at least two hours in total and his legs felt as though they'd give at any moment. But still, he forced himself to continue on. He walked cautiously, careful not to bump into any of them, but began to walk faster when he saw something in the distance.

As he got closer, the "something" turned out to be multiple pillars, made of a dark stone of some sort. His fast walking turned into running; he was hoping there was something other that Endermen and beige stone, and here it was. From what he could see, there were about five pillars, all different sizes. One was so low to the ground, he could climb onto it, while another stretched high into the sky, or void. On top of each pillar was a giant white crystal that spun slowly in place. He marbled at the structure, before noticing that they seemed to be arranged in a very large circle or star. In the middle was the largest beast he's ever seen. Eyes widened and a jaw hit the floor in awe at a large black mass curled up on the floor.

It was almost completely black, but silver spikes running down its scaly back and along its extremely long tail and two giant horns protruding from the top of its head. Two large silver arms with the structure of wings were folded against its body, almost covering up the thin black sheets that would allow it to fly. The DRAGON he was staring at snorted in its sleep, twin trails of gray smoke leaving its nostrils.

Steve did a complete one-eighty and walked off, deciding that he'd be better off with the Enderman. He was then halted by the demonic growl emitted by the dragon behind him. He made a small whimper before looking back. A large, purple eye had opened up and glared at him, straight into his soul. Steve yelped and made a run for it, but the large ivory teeth that hooked around his collar brought him straight back. He screamed and flailed as he was brought near the dragon and gently placed him in front of it. It eyed his shaking form curiously and nudged the pumpkin with its nose repeatedly, only once knocking him down. Steve steadily got back up. He assumed that the dragon was curious about the fact that his head was a pumpkin. Or maybe it was because it was friendly. The thought made Steve smile slightly. Maybe there was hope after all.

The dragon's maw opened up and snapped at Steve, who jumped back just in time. Nope, it's going to eat him.

He dashed away at a speed ocelots would be jealous of. The dragon had to stretch its neck to take another snap, but when it missed, it began to stand. Steve looked back, gasping when he saw that the dragon had been using hundred upon hundreds of bones as a bed. How much of it was human, he couldn't possibly tell, but he knew a good amount of people had been killed here.

Steve jumped behind a tall pillar as the head of the beast lunged at him, making it crash into the black stone. It roared, opened its mouth, and let a wave of purple fire escape. The villager was barely scathed by the hot flames, but he had to stop running in order to pay away at the fire on his pants leg. He weaved through the pillars, the dragon chasing after him in the pattern, but having a more difficult time due to its gigantic size. Steve knew that he couldn't keep it up forever; his stamina was crippling and the dragon moved with more ease as it noticed the pattern. As a last ditch effort, he made a run for the pile of bones. The dragons shot another breath of fire, burning Steve's legs and lower back. The hot flames went out as he dived into the bloody bones. He felt disgusted as his knees and arms were speckled with blood, but he tried his best to ignore it as he looked for a weapon. He found an iron sword and a glimmer of hope appeared to him.

Despite his fear, he turned to the beast, flailing the bloodied sword, almost as if he knew what he was doing. The dragon stopped and looked down upon him and his waving sword. It raised a paw, plucked the weapon out of its hands, and thew it over its shoulder like a toothpick. Steve's eyes widened to the "I'm so fucked" state, but he looked back at the bones and pulled out his second choice, the bow. He made a dash as he slung a quiver full of arrows over his shoulder, looking back to see the bored looking Ender Dragon walking after him. He took cover behind a pillar, took aim, and fired at it. The arrow completely missed, so did the second and third. The dragon had the most unamused look Steve had ever seen on any person or animal as it watched the arrows fly off and impale unsuspecting Endermen. But it was his sixth shot that changed the gears.

Steve, who was running out of arrows, shot another in attempt to hit the eye, only to crash into one of the floating crystals. Upon impact, the arrow flew straight through like it was made of paper, whilst the crystal pretty much shattered info dozens of pieces like a hallow ball made of thin glass. The dragon recoiled, obviously affected by the destruction of the crystal. It roared in pain, and as it did so, Steve was able to put two and two together and aimed at another crystal. It took a few more shots, but as the dragon was recovering, it gave another wail of agony when the second crystal obliterated.

Steve, determined to find a way out, fired another shot at the highest crystal, miraculously hitting and destroying it, but the explosion took his last arrow along with it. He cursed and searched through the bones of the dead, trying to find any extra arrows. He spotted a quiver full about six feet away. He dived for it, but was stanched up by its large jaws and thrown right into a pillar. After crashing to the ground, he didn't even have time to get up before he was thrown like a snowball once again, surely breaking a rib when he hit the ground again.

Steve groaned and braced himself as the jaws snatched him up and repeated the same motion. This time, though, he landed on the third highest pillar, where another crystal happened to be. Luckily, the dragon wasn't tall enough to actually reach him, so he was safe up there. Or at least he thought so. He looked at the dragon again, only to see it flap its wings and launch straight into the air. Steve's breath caught in his throat as it circled above the pillar, getting ready to swoop in and snatch him up. Not knowing what else to do, he pushed at the crystal. Surprisingly, it moved easily off it's invisible hover platform and onto the obsidian. With one mighty push, he rolled it off the pillar, watching as it fell about 25 feet and crashed to the ground, crushing an Enderman like a baby slime as a bonus.

Before he could give himself a mental celebration, he heard a roar and the sound of something whizzing through the air. He didn't even turn around before he was blasted off the pillar, flying through the air, and in the biggest stoke of luck, landed on the second highest. A crack resounded and pain shot through his chest. New bones had shattered, and Steve could barely stand. His pumpkin had a deep crack down the middle and seemed like it would break apart at any moment. He slowly got up to see the dragon flying past, it's purple eye gleaming and lips curved into a sharp-toothed grin.

Steve was hit by a wave of fury. Fury over almost everything that had happened to him within the last six hours. He had never known what pure anger was like until he had been dumped in this black hole of a terrain. He was so enraged to the point where he took off his pumpkin so there were no barriers and then gave the middle finger to the dragon. The dragon, surprised to see that the pumpkin-head was actually human, wasn't looking straight ahead and crashed into the obsidian pillar holding the last crystal. Although the tower did not break, the shock was so great that it both shook the platform underneath Steve and knocked the crystal right out of its place. Both being watched, jaws dropped, as the gem hurtled towards the ground and shattered on impact.

The dragon let out a deafening roar into the sky in pure pain and agony. Every Enderman that wasn't paying attention to the fight turned and stared at the two, not making a single movement. Steve got nervous and out the pumpkin back onto his head.

The human began to noticed that the dragon didn't seem to be dying. In fact, the monster itself seemed to notice the same, and eventually began to calm down.

"So I did ALL that for nothing?" Steve whispered to himself as the fallen dragon began to rise. It looked over at the pillar and immediately took off into the air. It circled the pillars, almost as if testing some sort of boundaries. After about three cycles, it gave one mighty flap and launched itself straight upwards. It continued to fly straight up, making a flap every so often before being swallowed up in the darkness.

Steve sat and stared at the spot in the sky it was last seen. The Endermen were entranced as well, staring up at the black ceiling. They broke away, looking at each other, as if wondering what to do next.

Steve jumped to the lower platform and climbed off, although it pained his chest greatly. He rubbed his brushing torso and looked up at one of the Endermen. The Enderman looked back down at him.

"So..." Steve started off, "Is there a way you can teleport me with you to the Over World?"


	3. What Have You Done?

Getting out of the black emptiness was harder than growing sugarcane away from water. Steve wandered for what must've been about four hours. The Endermen no longer looked at him or tilted their heads, only wandering around him, occasionally disappearing to go to the Over World. Several times he thought about holding onto one of them until they teleported, but he didn't know what the consequences on his part would be, or if it would even work. So he opted to continue walking.

Steve's legs felt like fragile twigs at this point. If he took a few more steps, they would've surely snapped in half. Luckily, he didn't have to walk much further, for he saw what looked like a small portal in the distance. As he got closer, he could see that it was made completely out of bedrock, the hardest material in the known world. He came to a stop, inches away from it. The portal was circular and built into the ground, big enough to fit about five people. The entrance to the portal was the same blackness as the sky above him. Protruding through the middle was a bedrock pillar that was only slightly taller than Steve. Placed on top of the pillar was a large black egg. He assumed it weighed a couple pounds, but it didn't matter to him. After being stuck in The End and wandering without food and water for so long, he was pretty desperate. His situation couldn't be any worse, he had decided.

So with little hesitation, he stepped onto the rim of the portal and jumped into the blackness.

* * *

There was that floating feeling again. The feeling of drifting through nothingness gave him a few moments of fright. Fortunately, he left the black void and crashed into the soft green grass.

Steve sat up, the pumpkin splitting completely in two and falling to the ground. He paid no mind, sat up, and rubbed his pounding head. He got to his feet took a quick scan of where he landed.

He was back in the Over World, safe until the night swallowed up the world. He had landed in clearing somewhere inside a thick forest. He spotted a pair of sheep grazing along the grass, stopping every so often when they saw a spot with particularly higher vegetation.

He looked up into the sky to look at the position of the sun, and was shocked to see a large amount of black smoke tainting the blue. He realized that there must've been a village or city in that direction. It was probably on fire, but it was still something.

Too tired to run, Steve began to speed-walk towards the source of smoke, startled every now and then when a cow or chicken would burst out of nowhere and run past. As he continued, he noticed the abundance of livestock, making him worry even further.

When he broke the tree line, his eyes widened to the size of picture frames and his jaw hit the floor.

He had been right. Every house was either burned to the ground or in flames. Many charred bodies littered the gravel streets, while those who survived were just watching from afar, sobbing over their losses. Steve ran over to a few villagers who were trying to put out the fires and begun to help. He had to avert his eyes away from the burned bodies. It had been years since he had seen a dead body, and just the thought of one made his stomach turn. He let a few tears slip from his eyes when ever he did catch a glimpse of one, just wishing he had never volunteered to be the courier. But instead of wallowing in regret, he instead dumped backers upon buckets of water onto the roaring flames. Unfortunately, two hours later, when the last flame had been stamped out, most of the houses had been reduced to ashes. He comforted the surviving adults and children. They all thanked him for his help, and when asked, they told him what happened.

"A dragon!" a woman exclaimed, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It came down faster than the rain, it's scales darker than the night itself. It's bright purple eyes showed no mercy as it burned down our houses! It flew away as quickly as it came, off to terrorize more innocents, I can only assume."

Steve's heart sank like an anvil. So the dragon had escaped The End. If so, than this was all his fault. People were dead because of him, and many more lives would soon be on his head. He was a murderer.

Steve felt himself becoming nauseous at the thought. He didn't realize he had fainted until he saw the ground rushing towards his face.

* * *

Steve woke up with a start. His eyes scanned his surroundings, surprised he was in bed. Upon further inspection (as well as further surprise), he realized that his burns had been healed and his once partially incinerated clothing were replaced with freshly washed replicas. A healing potion must have been used to remove the wounds, while he chalked the new clothing to just friendly hospitality. He reluctantly lifted his head up off of the pillow to get a good look around. The morning light shone through the window and into the otherwise dark room. The room itself was fairly simple: small, wooden, and warm with a bed, a dresser, and a chest labled "Food."

He got up, ignoring the light pounding in his head and the pain in his face. He opened up the chest and found an abundance of food, from fish to bushels of carrots to loaves of bread, as well as a few more healing potions. He assumed he must have been in a priests home, as they were the ones who made the potions and enchanted tools within villages. Focusing back on the food, Steve perked up when he saw a cooked chicken leg. He retrieved it and walked out of the room as he ate, hoping the villager wouldn't get upset by some missing food.

He was surprised to see that he had exited into the outside world. Looking back, he realized the small room was actually a shack. He made a quick scan of the area, only to see a neatly kept village. He must've been brought to a new area while he's been unconscious. Steve's eyes roamed the various wood and stone buildings, immediately filling him with guilt. Innocent people had perished because of him, and although they didn't know this, he couldn't bear the thought of their eyes looking upon a murderer. Unfortunately, Steve still needed to know where he was and how to get back to his village. He wanted nothing more than to go home. He needed Ezekiel back, for he was the village's horse, but he was most likely kept at a stable in the town, and he really didn't need another run-in with Notch. Steve finished his chicken and placed the bone in a small bin filled with other animal's bones, soon to become bonemeal.

Steve walked into the town, only to be praised for his heroic actions. He hid his guilt the best he could and only responded with, "I was just doing what I could." He asked around for a map or directions and was granted with answers. He was told that town was only a few miles from here, and was even offered a ride. He declined the offer and instead hightailed it out of the community as fast as he could.

As Steve walked, he noticed how late the day was. Because of this, he hoped he would be able to make it to town and to his village before night fell. His legs picked up speed, not even slowing down when a pack of napping wolves blocked his path. He just went around them and picked up speed, never looking back. The only time he paused was when the familiar roar sounded and the dragon flew overhead. The dragon seemed to not notice the human and kept flying, much to his relief. Steve continue to jog, despite the protest of his legs.

Upon arriving to the entrance of the town, the guards raised their swords. Steve realized that they were the same guards from when he had first arrived. Both of the protectors glared at him with eyes so vicious and hate-filled, you would've thought Steve had kicked their dogs or spit on their children. The young man swallowed thickly, realizing Notch must have put the town on high alert. He let out a sharp exhale as he slowly approached the two.

"Halt! By order of Notch himself! State your name and purpose!" They said in unison, pointing their swords, and though they were meters away, Steve knew they were aimed at his heart. Steve blinked rapidly for a split second, surprised even though he had expected this, but quickly attempted to steel himself to restrain the urge to shake like a leaf. "My- my name is Steve. I've just come for the stables for my-"

"Pah! You must be bluffing!" One guard accused. "Get back! Get back before we spill your guts all over the path!"

Steve couldn't help but stumble back with a hand over his heart at his biting command. "I- I don't understand."

"We know who you are!" the other guard spat. "We have been ordered to slay you upon sight! Now, we are smart enough not to tempt your powers! So for the sake of the sown, leave! Leave and never return, foul monster!" Steve stood there, dumbfounded. Just what was going on? The two warriors, thinking he wasn't getting the memo, began to advance. This snapped him out of his shocked state and he quickly took off.

Steve, now a good distance away from the walls surrounding the town, cursed his luck. Not only did he not have a way to get back to town fast enough, he was unprotected, had nowhere to hide from the monsters, and was now even more confused as to why Notch wanted him dead so badly. With nowhere to go but back to town, he took off running once again, ignoring the screaming of his aching legs. He couldn't get Ezekiel back, the sun was on it's way to the west, and he wasn't stupid enough to go up against two highly trained and well protected warriors. Running back to town was his only option, and no matter how badly his legs wanted to snap like twigs, being eaten by zombies didn't sound too appealing at the moment.

On his run back home, he had to take several breaks, and at one point he even just started walking home instead of running. His legs just couldn't handle such a journey. He was about to collapse and sink against a tree, when he saw that familiar hint of orange tinting the sky. He let out a shaky breath at the sight, and with the last regret of wishing he had worked out more, he forced himself to keep running. Stray sheep watched him run by as they grazed and wolves actually attempted to make a snap at him before deciding he wasn't worth the effort and sauntering off.

Steve did indeed make it back home, and by only a miracle of some unknown force was he able to make it just before night enveloped the world in darkness and the moon began to show it's pale face. Unfortunately, Steve's story does not end here, for as soon as he caught sight of the village, he also caught sight of the dozen or so iron clad guards. And boy, there was no way in Nether that he could miss the massive hulking white golem that stalked around the buildings. Although he knew better, Steve still tried the enter the village. To his salvation, he was pulled aside and behind a thick tree.

"Steve!" an aging woman whispered, standing on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him into a warm and loving hug. "Bessie!" he whispered back, returning her hug. "Bessie, I'm really sorry about the coal. I kind of got in a bit of-"

The motherly figure merely scoffed, pulled away, and did her best to keep her voice down. "Oh, Steve! Forget about the coal! I thought you had... You had..." She turned her head, unable to finish her sentence without tears welling up in her eyes. He shook his head. "Sorry, it's just been crazy for the past day or so." She gave him a curious look. "Day? Dear, what about the entire week?"

"Week?" he questioned, confused. She gave him a sad look. "Dear, you've been gone for the past week! What happened to you? The guards here are keeping an eye out for you! They speak about hurting you, m-maybe even killing you! Everyone is afraid. I hear talk of a dragon, too. One that has no problem with destroying homes and burning down entire villages! Steve, please tell me you had nothing to do with this!"

Steve's sharp intake of breath seemed to confirm Bessie's fear that he had done something wrong. "I-I don't... I don't-" Steve sputtered out, trying to make sense of the situation. Did Notch really put a mark over his head, and had he really been gone for a week? He had only been in the End for no more than half a day, and here this woman was, telling him that he had been missing for nearly a week. Was time slower within the end? If this was true, he didn't want to know how much damage was done by that dragon in a mere week. If it was able to reduce a village to ashes in mere hours, the society he lived in would be nothing but ash within a few short months. Steve felt the familiar nauseous feeling he did hours before, but kept his head on straight for the sake of not being caught.

Bessie looked around the tree for a split second. "Dear, you need to get out of here! If you get caught here, who know's what they'll do to you! Worse yet, the town will be in trouble for hiding you! Please! Just get to safety!"

Steve gulped, holding back the tears. His only salvation was just stripped away from him. But instead of protesting or demanding entry into her home, he just solemnly nodded. He gave her one last hug before turning to leave.

"Wait!" Bessie whispered again. Steve looked back at her, hoping she knew of a place to hide. She instead snuck off and returned with an object in her arms and and dog following her.

"Ace! Stripes!" Steve whispered gratefully as he took the cat in his arms and bent down to pat his dog. Ace wagged his tail, excited to see his master after so long, while Stripes merely gave her owner a bored look. Steve was happy to be reunited with his pets again, but was confused as to why they were brought out in the first place.

"They will protect you," Bessie said in a hushed tone. "I'm sorry I couldn't retrieve a sword or armor. Your pets are the next best thing. They will drive away the monsters. Find a place to hide and return when everything has calmed down." She gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. "I believe in you. Now go! I the guards are getting suspicious." "Goodbye Bessie," he said with a whisper and quickly rushed away while out of view of the guards. And as he continued to walk with Ace by his side and Stripes asleep in his arms, he watched as the sun slid behind the trees and the last few tints of color faded away into darkness.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the monsters of the night began to emerge.

* * *

Drumming his fingers on the arm of his throne, his grimace turned into a satisfied smile. The overworld was a disaster, and he knew it. He could feel the terror and anguish of the world beside his. Oh how he ached to be the one causing the fear and burning the villages to the ground. To be the one to stamp out the hope and joy of his brother's people. To be the one to look into his brothers eyes as he destroys the world he once knew.

Now he was anxious to find out just what was causing so much disaster. He felt his arms tense as his other hand grabbed the hilt of his sword, which leaned lopsided against his throne, just waiting to be used. He relaxed himself again, closing his eyes as he tried to subdue the rage building up inside him. Oh how he'd love to use it once again. But alas, he was trapped. Trapped in a world of fire and suffering.

After a moment of silence, he was brought back to reality by a shrill inhuman shriek from outside his window. He let out a small exhale. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath. And with that small breath, he began to drum his fingers once again.


	4. A Story to Tell in the Dark

With every step he took, Steve could feel himself shivering and shaking in his clothes, something that annoyed his beloved cat. So as a little nod of encouragement, she dug those vicious claws into his arm. The young man quickly dropped her, only adding to her frustration, but she decided to be the bigger animal in this situation and just got up and walked beside him. Ace, who trotted ahead excitedly, was just happy Steve had returned. He had spent days just lying by the door, waiting for him to return and give him love.

Steve had to up his pace in order to keep up with his dog, and as the eerie sounds of clacking bones and groans reached his ears, his worries escalated. Bessie had assured him that his pets would keep him safe, but how? Stripes was lazy, too lazy to chase even mice. Ace had been raised under his care since he was a pup, so he had no experience with fighting. He never even barked at anyone before, much less bit anyone. Even though Steve was thankful to be with his pets one last time, he would rather have been given a sword, a potion, or even just some armor so he could spare his pets the sight of his body being torn to bits by zombies. He cringed at the thought. He had to think of better thoughts, like a quick death by an arrow to the head or a heart attack from all the adrenaline that would soon pump through his veins.

As if on cue, an arrow suddenly whizzed passed his head and imbedded itself into a tree before him. Steve didn't even look back. Without skipping a beat, he scooped up his cat and booked it into the forest as fast as his legs could carry him, Ace quickly trailing behind him. He didn't know what shot the arrow, and whether it be a guard or some sort of intelligent monster, he frankly didn't care. He just ran until he grew tired again.

Leaning against a dying tree, Steve took heavy gasps as he tried to give his legs a rest. They hadn't had a break since his trip from the village, and if they didn't rest soon, he wouldn't get far next time. A quick scan of the area only further squashed his hope for survival. His night vision wasn't tuned quite yet, but he was still able to make out large spiders trampling through the bushes and fallen leaves. Outlines of zombies could be seen limping from between the trees. At one point, Steve even thought he had spotted a fully formed skeleton with some sort of weapon in its hand. He gulped and slumped down the tree, ready to give up at the first monster he saw. Ace did several laps around the tree he was resting on, seemingly oblivious to the deadly environment. Stripes just fell asleep in his arms, purring all the while. How they didn't attract any attention was beyond him. He just made sure to keep his head low.

Once his legs felt fit to carry him once again, he stood back up, walking even though his body ached. His movements were slow and cautious, being sure not to step on any particularly brittle twigs or make any human noises. These beasts were on high alert, and he had no doubt they were willing to slay anything that walked on two legs that had some form of humanity. As they continued on, though, the forest seemed to get thinner and thinner, and the monster becoming more abundant. The zombies' rotting green skin became more visible, the spiders' red eyes seemed to glow brighter in the moonlight, and there was definitely a bow in that skeleton's hands. Soon enough he even saw those familiar tall black figures from The End.

Steve's tactic of hiding behind trees would wear thin real quick, especially with how much the monsters liked to patrol the area. He knew he had to get to a safe place soon, maybe a cave or up in a high tree. He looked up at the tree he hid behind. It was sturdy enough to support him, but what about his pets? Surely the monsters would tear them to pieces at the sound of a whimper. And a tree branch wouldn't stop a skeleton from shooting up at him.

As the young villager continued to ponder the potential consequences of his tree, he was unable to register the groan of the lone zombie that had spotted him. The zombie, with a broken arm and an eye missing, began to limp his way over to his next meal. Steve realized his dire situation too late. By the time he turned around, the monster was within an arm's length of him, reaching with shriveled and gnarled green hands to grab him. Being cornered up against a tree, Steve let out a petrified scream of terror, letting every beast within a half mile radius know exactly where he was. This didn't stop the zombie's greedy hands from reaching out to him, but it didn't have to. In a blink of an eye, Steve went from cowering in fear to gawking at how his dog was tearing the monster apart. Ace was standing over the squirming zombie, viciously growling and tearing into his neck until he stopped moving altogether. The dog's master had his jaw hit the floor after presenting his blood soaked muzzle to him and sitting there with a playful smile spread over his face.

Steve quickly shut his mouth again when another zombie approached. Like the one before it, it was tackled and torn into like a wolf feeding on a deer. A spider tried to attack as well, but it stood no chance either. Steve began to gain hope that he really would make it out alive, until he saw that skeleton.

The boney monster stood gazing at him from afar, even looking as though it was glaring from the way the skull was positioned. All of its joints were connected together by some unknown force, being so strong and unwavering that it was able use fifty pounds of force to draw an arrow in its bow and aim it perfectly at its target's head. It was around this time that Steve decided it was a bad time to marvel at the mysteries of life. He quickly got up and rushed off before Ace could take a stab at the skeleton, forcing him to trail behind his owner and restrain himself from attacking the monsters.

As Steve continued to jog and avoid running into trees and inhuman creatures, the trees continued to thin more and more. He didn't stop until he heard the sound of moist ground slapping under his shoes. He stopped and took a look around only to see a lake nearby, and the swampy environment around it. Though the trees were thinned out around here, there were still some jutting out of the water in a tangle of vines. He thought he would be safe in an area that was mostly water, but the creature he saw next put those beliefs to rest. Kind of.

The best way to describe it was as a large slimy light green blob that hopped around hopped around the swamp with a loud smack on each landing. It was bigger than him, and looked big enough to swallow him hole. There weren't any eyes that Steve could see, but when he stepped a little closer he could actually see some dark globs within the center of the slime positioned like eyes and maybe a mouth. Another step towards it, the blob visibly turned. To his fright, the monster began to hop its way towards him. Steve almost ran, had it not been for the fact that the blob landed on a small slope that led into the water. The creature tried to escape its humiliating demise, but it was too late. It rolled like a ball down the barely there incline and disappeared beneath the surface of the water. A few bubbles rose to the top, but after that, Steve knew the poor thing had drowned. The slope wasn't even that steep; it was just a gradual incline. This led to the assumption that there were way more of those things in the depths than the surface led him to believe. He couldn't help but shrug off the encounter and continue looking around.

It wasn't until he made a second scan of the area that he saw the strangely shaped tree in the darkness. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that it was it wasn't a tree at all, but a wooden hut that was raised on stilts to raise above the mud and water. Thinking it was nothing short of a miracle from some unknown force, he ran over to where he saw a ladder that led to the top. Putting Stripes under one arm, he shook his shoes to rid himself of the mud that tried to capture his feet and climbed up. Of course, he went back and carried his much heavier dog up to the hut as well.

The hut was small, obviously made for a single person. The entire thing was completely made of wood. There was only one room, a small bed made of sheep wool in the corner, a heavy black cauldron set to the side, glass bottles of water set on a locked chest, and a potion brewing mechanism set on a crafting bench, slowly brewing some sort of drink. Though there was no one in the hut, Steve immediately assumed it was a girl, as the mushrooms in pots on the windowsill seemed to only be for decoration.

Steve, too exhausted to care about who's home he was intruding in, flopped onto the floor. His legs stopped their agonizing screaming, only leaving behind the soreness that comes with heavy exercise. Stripes jumped into the soft wool whilst Ace merely sat by him, his tongue hanging out and all. The dog let out a high pitched whine, only to be answered with a quick scratch behind the ear.

Steve decided to take a quick look outside to see where the monsters were. A few zombies wandered aimlessly around the swamp while a couple skeletons just kept an eye out for him. He spotted a spider making a web, a slime kept trying to free itself from the mud, and he spotted an an enderman walk around with one of the smaller squirming green creatures in its grasp. There was also a monster Steve had never seen before.

The creature was somewhat humanoid, with a slim torso and a normal sized head. It's skin was green like a zombies, but a much more lighter shade. Strangely, it had no arms, but it did have four legs that extended out like a spider's. Its eyes were big, black, and soulless, and its maw stretched big and wide into a forever agape frown. All in all, it was the most terrifying thing he had ever seen. He had heard stories from the town's librarian and even Philip about these thing, "Creepers" as they called them, but to actually see one was... Well, let's just say that no sleep would be had for the next few days. He felt like it was going to crawl through the window at night and eat him. Philip, whenever he had the time, would tell stories to the kids to keep them from venturing out into the night. It had been thought he had been exaggerating or he had made most of it up, but after everything he had seen, Steve knew better. And if what Philip said was true, then these things had the tendency to explode. He swallowed thickly at the thought and watched it slowly move around for the first few minutes.

After a while of watching, he began to realize that some of these monsters had spotted him. A small slime tried attacking the stilts, unsuccessfully of course, and a few skeletons couldn't seem to shoot accurately enough to directly hit him. They were pretty close, though, with one just barely skimming his hair. The zombies didn't seem to notice a thing, while the spiders weren't able to climb the wet stilts. This was the perfect house; whoever lived there must've been some sort of adventurer or at least some sort of professional. Steve just hoped they would be the hospitable type.

As the monsters began to get more agitated, Steve began to grow more comfortable in his situation. His eyes flickered up to the moon, which wasn't even near half it's trip across the sky. It was going to be a very long night.

When Steve looked back down, he quickly scrambled to the side to avoid an arrow to the face. The skeletons, despite not being able to show facial expressions, seemed visibly frustrated at him. They were shooting their arrows more rapidly and every so often stamped the ground with one foot. It was almost comical. Almost. They were still trying to kill him after all.

Steve was beginning to get worried that the monsters attacking the stilts were actually going to succeed, when he saw the figure moving around behind them. From the looks of it, this person was actually human, as they walked faster than zombies, wore a cloak, and didn't carry a bow in their hands. He couldn't get a good look at whoever it was, but that didn't matter. The human didn't have a weapon of any sort, and was in plain view of all the monsters. They must've seen Steve in the hut at some point, because they were making their way to the ladder. To his astonishment, the human merely nudged to monsters aside, barely gaining any acknowledgement in return. These creatures treated this person like one of their own; they didn't attack the human, nor did they even try to keep them from passing. Let just let them walk past and climb up the ladder. Steve backed up to let this person have room to enter, and upon seeing them up close, he realized just why they were able to maneuver through the swamp.

First and foremost, the stranger was a woman, and a fairly old one at that. The wrinkles were very visible upon her face, her hands were thin and withered, and her once black hair had turned a chalky white. Steve rounded her age in the mid sixties, maybe even late fifties. Yet despite that, she moved around like a woman in her twenties, straight posture and all. She wore deep purple robes that covered up most of her torso and legs. Placed firmly on her head was a black brim hat with a pointed top and a buckle securing a green ribbon around the middle. Another thing Steve couldn't help but notice was the glare in her lilac eyes and the menacing scowl she wore on her face.

'Of course,' Steve thought to himself. 'This home just had to belong to a witch.'

With a few roots and herbs in one hand and another hand on her hip, she gave Steve an annoyed glare. "What are you doing in my hut?" she spat. The young man gave her a tired sigh. "Listen, ma'am, I have no ill intentions. I just came here to hide from them." The witch followed his pointing finger to the monsters outside, who had become disinterested and continued to wander aimlessly. She turned back to him and have him a quick scan up and down. "And what makes you think I won't be the one to kill you instead?" she asked, her arms folded. Steve visibly winced and pleaded, "Please, miss. I just want a place to stay for the night. I won't be a bother and I swear I'll be out by daybreak." She gave him a suspicious look. "Who are you? Shouldn't you be at your village?" He shook his head slowly. "It's been a long story."

The witch thought his reply over, before looking at his pets, then glancing at him again. "Only for tonight," she growled, moving past him, opening the the locked chest, and putting her ingredients inside. Steve let out a loud sigh of relief, before letting out a tired laugh. "Ah, thank, ma'am. You just extended my life span by a little bit." He put his back against the wall and slumped down. "I owe you one."

The robed woman gave him a stern expression. "Owe me?" she demanded, removing the now ready potions from their brewing stand. "Well you can start by telling me what you're doing here. It's been ages since I've seen one of you around." 'One you you?' Steve thought to himself. 'She said that like she isn't a human herself. Well, maybe she isn't.' He looked up at her with tied eyes. "Like I said. It's a long story miss-"

"Gretchen," she finished. "And as you can see, Steve, I just got back from collecting ingredients. I have all night to listen."

"I'm not even going to ask how you knew my name," the brunet said uneasily, "but I guess I could try to tell you what happened."

As the witch brewed her potions and pet his cat, Steve talked about his crazy day, or apparently week. There were small signs of plain disbelief crossing the stern woman's face, but she kept quiet for the most part. Steve droned on about how sad Philip's death was and how he felt betrayed by a leader he once trusted, but he rushed through the exciting parts. Like Steve had promised, it was indeed a long story. Had it been written down, it would probably fill up three chapters of a book. Gretchen looked intrigued at the end of his story, but said nothing as she sipped some unknown drink and thought the story over. She opened her mouth to say something but shut it again, deciding instead to keep sipping and petting Stripes. Ace circled around her, hoping to get some love as well, and he was rewarded with a bone from her chest and a scratch behind the ear.

"Well, it sure was an interesting story," she murmured. Steve, exasperated, didn't argue. "Listen, you don't have to believe me if you don't want to. But that's the truth, and it's all have to tell you." Gretchen shook her head. "No, I believe you alright, I just don't understand the logic behind it."

"Do you now?" he said, stand up so they could talk properly. "How that? For all you know, I could be a witch hunter!" The witch snorted and let out an amused laugh. "Ah, trust me, Steve. If you were a witch hunter, you'd have on more that a shirt, a pair of pants, and your tamed pets," she said with a chuckle. "But that's not the point I want to get to. What I'm curious about is why Notch would throw you into The End for no reason at all."

Steve scratched his head, trying to remember what Notch had said to him. "I'm not really sure, to be honest. I think he must've thought I was someone else. That's he only explanation I can think of, anyways. He called me by a name. Something like Zerorind or Hebrewgrind. I hit my head pretty hard, so it's a bit fuzzy to me."

"Herobrine?" the witch suggested. Steve immediately recognized the name. "Yeah! That's the one!" the witch looked him over once again. "Well you sure do look like him. The face, the hair, the beard. Splitting image, or at least that's what I concluded from what I heard about him."

Steve unconsciously stroked his goatee at the mention of his appearance. "Really? That does explain a lot, but who is he? I'll track him down and turn him in myself if I have to!"

Gretchen laughed again, nearly spilling her drink as she doubled over slightly. Steve's head tilted in confusion. He had been serious about what he said. He didn't care if this man was some dangerous criminal or a traitor, he would find him and find a way to bring him to the town and straight to Notch. He didn't care what it took; he just wanted his normal life back.

Gretchen's laughter subsided into small giggles . "Ooh, dear. You shouldn't make an old woman laugh so hard," she said as she set her tea on the crafting bench and went over to her chest. Unlocking it with a small key tied to her wrist, she opened the container, rummaged around, and pulled out a large book. "My aunt gave this to me when I was young," she said, flipping through the pages. "I used you like looking at the pictures, but now it's a big help to me." Steve walked over and looked into the book as well. The first few pages were of hand drawn maps and biomes, all having small descriptions on the pages next to them. After that were recipes for potions and how to obtain the ingredients. Then came the drawings of monsters, each one followed by a few pages of information. Some monsters he recognized, such as the giant spider and the enderman, and some he didn't, like one drawing of a three-headed skeleton thing. Each monster looked to be sketched out by a true artist, looking so real he could almost reach out and touch them. She stopped at a certain section; the page that was supposed to have the drawing was just blank and the description was shorter than the others. Gretchen cradled the open book in one arm as she sipped her drink and read silently to herself.

"From what it says here, Herobrine and Notch were partners or buddies, and real close too," she said looking up to see his response. Steve was confused, but still understood at the same time. If they had been so close, then why had Notch tried to kill him?

"He supposedly lives in The Nether," she continued. "Though how he got there is up for debate. Some say he's a ghost that was sent there after he died. Others say he found a way in but couldn't find a way back out, and instead of dying, he just kept living. There are a few that say that Notch locked him up in there himself in an act of betrayal."

"The Nether? I've heard of that place," Steve commented. "I read it somewhere while in the library back in the village. I thought it was just a myth. A story mothers would tell their kids: 'Don't do bad things or you 'll be sent to The Nether!'"

Gretchen gave a light chuckle. "It isn't a myth. It's just really hard to get to." Her fingers flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. "It says the only way to get there is through a portal carved from pure obsidian."

Now it was Steve's turn to laugh. "Heh, obsidian? The rock made of lava? Yeah, okay. Sure thing. Allow me to just go down in a cave, find some searing hot lava, pour water on it, and then carve through the rock with my bare hands. Listen, Gretchen, I know you're serious, but a thing like that just isn't possible!"

Gretchen closed her book. "That's fine by me." She walked over to the brewing stand to take her potions off. "But if a dragon comes and destroys my home," she took a quick sip of one of the red liquid, "I'm telling every witch out there to kill you on sight." This elicited a nervous laugh from the man in question. After a tense rub of the back of his neck, he said, "I'll see what I can do." The witch gave a satisfied smile before saying, "Good. Now get some rest. If you're going to leave by daybreak, you shouldn't do it while tired."

Steve nodded gratefully before slumping into the makeshift bed and quickly falling asleep.

The witch looked over his sleeping form. She grumbled to herself while sipping the potion. "Damn fool is bound to destroy us all," she muttered herself, before putting a bottle of water and some sugar into the brewing stand.


End file.
